Ring Style Desuperheater Nozzles for Vortex Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Steam assisted desuperheaters face issues with vortex shedding and vibrations due to the insertion-style tube, and existing ring style desuperheaters are limited to mechanically atomized varieties, which restrict flexibility and efficiency in steam flow management.
Innovation Solution
A steam assisted ring style desuperheater design featuring spray nozzles with separate atomizing steam and cooling water passages that converge only at the atomizing head, eliminating the need for an insertion-style tube and allowing radial injection of the spraywater cloud, thereby reducing vortex issues and enhancing flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an insertion-style tube is used in steam assisted desuperheaters, then atomizing steam and cooling water can be delivered to the atomizing head, but vortex shedding and vibrations occur due to the tube structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the insertion-style tube from the desuperheater structure and replaces it with a ring-style configuration where atomizing steam and cooling water are delivered through separate manifolds and nozzles. This extraction of the problematic tube element eliminates the vortex shedding and vibrations while maintaining the essential function of delivering atomizing steam and cooling water to the atomizing head.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the delivery system into separate manifolds for atomizing steam and cooling water, with separate nozzles for each fluid type. This segmentation allows each fluid to be delivered independently through dedicated pathways, eliminating the need for a single insertion tube and reducing harmful vortex effects while maintaining reliable operation.
2Device complexity
If mechanically atomized desuperheaters are used, then the structure is simpler, but flexibility and efficiency in steam flow management are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a multi-functional ring-style desuperheater that can operate in both mechanically atomized mode and steam assisted mode. The separate manifolds and nozzles are configured to accept either mechanical atomization or steam injection, allowing the same basic structure to provide different atomization methods depending on the application requirements, thereby enhancing flexibility while maintaining reasonable structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables dynamic operation by allowing the system to switch between different atomization modes (mechanical only, or steam assisted) based on process conditions. The separate delivery manifolds and nozzles can be configured to deliver atomizing steam or cooling water as needed, providing adaptability and flexibility in steam flow management while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
3Length of stationary object
If steam assisted desuperheaters are used, then downstream pipe length can be reduced, but separate delivery of atomizing steam and cooling water increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the atomizing steam and cooling water delivery systems into a unified ring-style configuration with integrated manifolds and nozzles. While separate delivery pathways are used, the components are combined in a compact arrangement that reduces the overall downstream pipe length requirement while maintaining the complexity necessary for proper fluid separation and atomization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a nested arrangement where the nozzles are positioned within or adjacent to the ring body, and the manifolds are integrated into the ring structure. This nesting allows the separate delivery systems for atomizing steam and cooling water to be compactly arranged, reducing the space required and shortening the downstream pipe length while maintaining the necessary functional separation.
4Adaptability or versatility
If ring style desuperheaters with separate manifolds are used, then flexibility and adaptability are enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ring-style desuperheater into modular components including separate manifolds, nozzles, and a ring body, which can be manufactured independently and then assembled. This segmentation reduces the manufacturing complexity of individual components while maintaining the overall adaptability and flexibility of the ring-style configuration, as each module can be optimized for manufacturing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the ring-style desuperheater with universal components that can be used across different applications. The separate manifolds and nozzles are configured to work with various steam flow conditions and cooling water requirements, providing flexibility without requiring custom manufacturing for each application, thereby reducing overall manufacturing complexity while enhancing adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces vortex-related problems and allows for more efficient temperature control with shorter downstream pipe lengths, improving the desuperheater's performance and adaptability in industrial settings.
Implementation Method 1
The atomizing head combines the atomizing steam and the cooling water to form a spraywater cloud and injects the spraywater cloud radially into the flow stream of process steam
Implementation Method 2
Evaporation of the water droplets in the spraywater cloud reduces the temperature of the process steam
Data Source
AI summary
A steam assisted ring style desuperheater includes a ring body defining an axial flow path and one or more spray nozzles extending through a wall of the ring body. Each of the nozzles is connected to a separate cooling water manifold and atomizing steam manifold to conduct cooling water and atomizing steam separate from each other through the spray nozzle to an injection point. An atomizing head of each nozzle combines the cooling water and atomizing steam to form a spraywater cloud that is injected radially into the axial flow path. The spray nozzles include one or more flow passage inserts that define separate first and second fluid flow paths for conducting the cooling water and the atomizing steam separately through the spray nozzle.